Four Titles for a Parable

            The other day I went to the door to get a package from the UPS guy, and he asked, “Are those Pawpaws?”

I proceeded to describe how I’d hoped they would bear fruit,
but, as of yet, they had not…
and immediately I noticed that
—somewhere between the last rain and the heatwave
—two of the three trees had borne fruit!

            And Jesus, faced with rejection and opposition of all sorts
—responds with a story about bearing fruit
—a story for the crowds and an explanation for his disciples.
A parable describing the great mystery of the Kingdom
—the reign of God…
Jesus tells the story in a way that we can come at God’s work sideways,
so that we can be
surprised, and challenged, and inspired by it!

            And, like all good stories,
how it is told, even the title
—sheds light on different aspects of what God is up to…
so today, I’ll be offering you four different titles, that will draw us into Jesus’ story in 4 different ways.

The parable of…
Four Soils,
Resplendent Seeds,
Sowing as we were sown,
and the Parable of the Extravagant Sower.

Let us pray.

 

            If this is a Parable of Four Soils, then it is about us,
us humans on the receiving end of the Good News.

            Sometimes we’re like the Religious Leaders of Jesus’ day
—the announcement of God’s acts in Jesus are snatched away.

            Sometimes we’re like The Crowds that regularly listen to Jesus
—fickle, fleeing at the first sign of trouble,
weighed down by worldly cares and greed
and going along to get along.

            Sometimes, however, we’re like the Disciples and other followers of Jesus,
we experience Jesus
—we catch his vision,
even if only partially,
even if our faith is o’ so weak
—we understand
—stand under, trust
—what God is doing, and wow! It bears so much fruit!

            Yes, we understand threats to the Gospel persist,
many fall away,
only a remanent remain
—and yet, God continues to act!

 

            If this is a Parable of Resplendent Seeds,
then we’re focused on the Gospel.

We’re focused on those seeds
—the announcement of God’s reign…
every time: the sick are saved, the imprisoned liberated, the meek and miserable ministered to, when preaching is genuinely good news
—that’s what God’s Rule is like!
And it packs a wallop!
Freedom, salve, salvation.

Yes, it may land on shallow soil or thorny ground, or a stony path—but that’s okay
—it also finds good soil, that’s the only thing that matters!
To quote Biblical Scholar Mark Allan Powell, “God takes opposition and apostasy into account, only a remnant is needed to constitute the Kingdom of God.”

            Pay no heed to all the times the gospel is wasted
—rejoice in the bountiful harvest,
trust that Isaiah’s words are true,
God’s Word “never returns empty.”

 

If, however, we title Jesus’ story The Parable of Sowing as we were Sown
then we’re describing evangelism.

            These seeds are sown by Christ,
which are then sown by the Disciples and the Earliest Church,
and sown again and again up to this present moment
—our sharing of Good News in deed and in word.

            When we evangelize it is darn important that we witness to Jesus, and witness like Jesus
—that is the mission and calling of the Church.
Mind your business!
The reproduction of what has been sown
—the effects of Jesus’ mission of compassion,
produces compassionate mission… or to quote Emil Brunner:
“The Church exists by mission, just as a fire exists by burning.”

            We must not be held captive by a scarcity mentality,
worried about wasting Good News,
seed landing where only the birds will benefit…
Not every seed needs to bear fruit, but every seed needs to be sown!
We can get so very choosy about where the seed lands,
or attempting to prepare the soil, that we forget to plant.

            Not every seed needs to bear fruit.
Try again! It isn’t futile!
Keep on keeping on!
Thow it against the wall and see what sticks!
There is much goodness is telling folk about Jesus, trying things, proclaiming in a plethora of ways!

 

            Finally, if this is The Parable of the Extravagant Sower
then it is about Jesus!

About the sort of savior we serve, the kind of friend we have in Jesus.
This parable is like the one in Luke’s Gospel about the Prodigal Son
—the Father who throws a party even after his son squanders half his belongings in a faraway land.

The Extravagant Sower is wasteful with his goodness
—absurdly un-strategic in his sewing—a 3/4^ths failure rate. Because! Because! The Method is the Message
—the All of it,
that the seed goes out to every type of soil
—it is an embodiment of God’s mercy!

            The explosive goodness of God goes to all…
as a side benefit it sometimes bears fruit,
that then sets off secondary chain reactions of Gospel,
that in turn keep that goodness flowing in endless fruitfulness…
but, at least in this telling of the parable, the sewing in all soil would be enough…
enough that God acts in ways that are mysteriously generous, intentionally over the top
—“My cup overflows” sort of gifts, feasts, a field of plenty,
enough and more than enough, from the Generous Sower.

 

            Sudden surprising fruitfulness,
like the fruit of the Parsonage Pawpaws popping up out of nowhere.
Images that overcome tough times with hope
—different ways to:
-dig into the Soil that is we humans,
-consider the seed that is the Good News announced and experienced,
-sowing itself akin to evangelism,
-that Sower—Lord Jesus,
O’ Sower of our souls.

Amen.